American Veterans Honored at Princess Anne Service

From the Nov. 10, 2014, Delmarva Now "War of 1812 veterans honored at Princess Anne service" by Jeremy Cox.

The 15-star U.S. flags were placed on the graves.  Each star represented a U.S. state.  Also, each star represented one Somerset Country War of 1812 veteran.  The flags were planted at three cemeteries and at each one a brief prayer was said and "Taps" played.

This was done by the Somerset War of 1812 Committee after researching for the graves in preparation for the War of 1812 Bicentennial.  So far, they have located 80 graves, but there are probably more because just Maryland militia rosters have been used so far.

Probably the best-known of the veterans was Joshua Thomas, a Methodist minister called the "Parson of the Islands."  In September 1814, he gave a sermon to British troops and officers in which he told them they would be defeated at Baltimore.

Thomas is buried at Deal Island.

--Brock-Perry

Maryland Veterans To Be Honored-- Part 3

The April 30, 1814, Niles Weekly Reporter in Baltimore describes a raid, possibly at White Haven, then a part of Somerset County:

"The schooner Buzzi, a bay trading vessel, Captain Jarvis, was chased into Wicomico on the 9th by a tender and several barges. Capt. [James]Dashiel, with 25 men of his artillery company and a six-pounder came to his rescue. They had several fine raking shots at the enemy; several men were seen to fall and oars floated on shore. The Englishmen retreated in great haste...."

Somerset County native Joshua Thomas, a Methodist preacher, known as the Parson of the Islands, preached a sermon in 1814 to British troops stationed there predicting their defeat at Baltimore.

Considering the Congregation, This Could Have Caused Problems. --Brock-Perry

Maryland Veterans To Be Honored-- Part 2

During the war there were many raids along the Pocomoke, Annemessex and Wicomico revers and Coulbourne's and Back creeks.

From the diary of Thomas Seon Sudler:

"May 25, 1813, Tuesday night about 10 o'clock, James Curtis came to see me to inform me that the British was up the Pocomoke as far as the Flatts, and that another party of them was up as far as Jerico, the mouth of the Annemessex River. We are becoming a very unhappy people. War and bloodshed appears to be the Ellement of the French Democrats and war party."

Sure Not Too Happy About the British Being Amongst Them. --Brock-Perry

Maryland Veterans To Be Honored-- Part 1

From the Nov. 5, 2013, Delmarva.com "War of 1812 veterans to be honored" by Liz Holland.

Somerset County, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, militia men were to be honored on Sunday, Nov. 10th in a Veterans Day event. Many of those so honored have famous local names like Dashiell, Phoebus, Jones, Long, Pollitt and Yerges.


U.S. 15-star flags will be placed on their graves. There are 80 of them altogether which have been found through much research and effort by the Somerset County War of 1812 Committee. Fourteen of them are at Antioch Methodist Church, St. Andrws Episcopal Church and Manokin Presbyterian Church. Others are located at Deal Island, Crigfield, Marion Station, Westover, Reheboth and Kingston.

Little Known War in Somerset County. --Brock-Perry